Just when we thought the luxury-meets-lifestyle trend had reached its peak—where handbags sat next to handmade pasta and labels moonlighted as hotel curators—Prada quietly steps in with its first independent dining concept in Asia, Mi Shang, and reminds us that in the world of couture, the appetite for reinvention is never satisfied.
Opened on March 31, 2025, inside Shanghai’s historic Rong Zhai mansion, Mi Shang is not merely a restaurant—it is a fully styled mise-en-scène of visual opulence and sensorial storytelling. And naturally, Wong Kar-wai, Hong Kong’s master of melancholia and slow-burning romance, is the auteur behind it.
You could call it Prada’s answer to Bar Luce in Milan (their dreamy collaboration with Wes Anderson). But while Bar Luce is a whimsical sip of nostalgia, Mi Shang is a moodier, more cinematic affair—In the Mood for Lobster, perhaps?
photos: @Mi Shang Prada Rong Zhai | Image Credit: @Prada
A Table Set by Wong Kar-wai
Wong’s touch is unmistakable. The interiors of Mi Shang echo the saturated hues, mirrored spaces, and aching nostalgia that have defined his filmography. One can easily imagine Maggie Cheung gliding past your table in cheongsam, or Tony Leung lingering over a martini at the bar.
From mirrored surfaces to the tête-bêche stamp motif—a subtle nod to the mirrored destinies of Shanghai and Milan—the design speaks to those who recognize a well-placed cultural reference when they see one. It’s an atmosphere where the velvet is deep, the lighting is forgiving, and the mise en place is as curated as a runway lineup.
Where Chinese Cuisine Flirts with Milanese Flair
And what of the food, you ask? Mi Shang doesn’t simply serve—it seduces. The all-day menu stretches from decadent breakfasts to refined cocktails under crystal light. Expect Chinese flavors with Italian finesse: think slow-poached abalone with saffron risotto, or duck confit tucked inside lotus leaf parcels. It’s not fusion—it’s conversation.
The ambition is clear: Mi Shang wants to be the Prada of dining. Elegant, elusive, and never quite chasing the trends—because it is the trend.
Rong Zhai: From Fashion Runway to Gourmet Runway
The choice of Rong Zhai is no accident. Restored in 2017 by Prada to its original 1918 grandeur, this French Renaissance-style villa has hosted art exhibitions, fashion events, and now, gastronomic reveries. Prada didn’t just open a restaurant—they embedded it in a narrative, one where architecture, history, and design swirl around your wine glass like a good Barolo.
This isn’t a pop-up or a marketing gimmick with overpriced truffle fries. It’s a strategic, slow-dripped statement: luxury today isn’t just worn—it’s lived, tasted, Instagrammed, and immortalized in 35mm lighting.
Final Course: Shanghai, Served Stylishly
In a city already bursting with culinary bravado, Mi Shang doesn’t scream for attention. It whispers it, softly, through marbled halls and velvet chairs, through the subtle elegance of a well-cut dumpling and the flicker of gold-leaf detail.
